Inle Lake (March 8-March 11, 2012)

As famous as Bagan is for its history, Inle Lake is famous for its natural beauty and people. The 116 square kilometer lake is home to the Intha people, who continue to live in small stilted communities along the lake’s shore. They make their living from the lake by fishing, gathering seaweed, making fabrics from lotus flowers, and gardening. The men row distinctively across the lake, standing at the stern and paddling with one leg wrapped around an oar as they fish with large, hand-woven baskets. It is a way of life we can only imagine is fast-declining, but is still thriving here. 

As an introduction to the area we took a boat tour around the lake. While the trip was a little touristy, we enjoyed visiting a nearby market, seeing several of the handicraft shops (including the cigarette rollers and lotus weavers), chatting with the other travelers in our boat, getting up close to fishermen, paddling through stilt houses, and receiving enthusiastic waves from locals busily paddling or motoring across the lake. It was a wonderful way to see the area and a great way to spend Nora’s birthday! That evening we had dinner with a German couple from our boat tour at a local restaurant/bar. It was a fun birthday dinner for Nora, made better by running into two Americans traveling around Myanmar together, dressed as Mario and Luigi. We aren’t sure what the locals were making of their costumes and facial hair, but we thought it was pretty funny.

On our second day here we went on a walk outside of town, through some small villages. The people here, as everywhere in rural Myanmar, were incredibly friendly. Though we had a language barrier, people happily greeted us with a friendly “mingalaba!” and a wave. Our final destination was a winery in the hills where we did a tasting of some of the local wine. It was not the best wine we’d ever had, but it was a fun treat, nonetheless.

The town of Nyaungshwe, where we stayed, had an interesting local market that we liked to browse. It was bustling with locals and full of stands for traditional skirts (longgi), woven shopping bags, produce and meat, and everything your average Burmese person might need. It was also home to some great, cheap food stalls and we ate here more than once, sampling grilled fish from the lake, the Burmese take on Indian roti, and “husband and wife cakes” (mote lin mayar). While we were here the town experienced a terrible fire that took out about half of a block near downtown. It was a chaotic scene with hundreds of bystanders clogging the streets and locals fighting the fire with garden hoses and plastic buckets full of water. By the time the “fire truck” arrived and made its way through the crowds, the fire had nearly burned itself out.Though the mood of the town was decisively nervous, it was amazing to watch locals come together to help put out the fire as quickly as possible and then begin demolishing and rebuilding the next day.

Click on the photo below for our Inle Lake photo album.

Bagan (March 4-March 8, 2012)

Bagan is easily one of the most magnificent sites in all of southeast Asia. In the 11^th century, King Anawrahta began building the capital of his empire on the plains along the Irrawaddy River, and during this period, over 10,000 stupas and temples are believed to have been constructed here. Over two-hundred years later, Bagan fell into decline and disuse. What remains now are the ruins of over two thousand beautiful brick stupas and stone temples scattered across 42 square kilometers. Though the temples and stupas are incredibly beautiful themselves, it is the panoramic views of the unbelievable landscape from the top of any of the tallest temples that really makes Bagan so amazing.

We explored the site by bicycle for two days, riding along dirt trails to visit some of the more obscure temples, and riding in the dust clouds of large tourist buses at the more popular ones. Some of the temples have incredible frescoed interiors while others have intricately carved reliefs decorating their exterior. Some of our favorites included Thatbyinnyu and Dhammayangyi Temples (Bagan’s tallest and biggest overall temples, respectively), and Ananda Temple which was most spectacular at sunset when its golden pagoda seemed to glow. No two temples or pagodas are alike and they are all amazing, which is what makes Bagan such an incredibly special place and one of our favorite destinations of the entire year.

Click on the photo below for our Bagan photo album.

Mandalay (March 2-March 4, 2012)

From Pyin Oo Lwin we headed west to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city. The city is fairly large, with about one million residents, and is located on the Irrawaddy River. Unfortunately, the city’s primary tourist attractions are all run by the country’s military dictatorship, so all entrance fees collected support the regime. We decided we didn’t want to contribute financially to the government more than we had to, so we skipped the city’s main sites, opting instead to do a walking tour that led us to several pretty pagodas and through the extensive markets.

One evening we also attended a “Moustache Brothers” comedy show. The troupe of three real brothers has been performing for decades and their anti-government satire has cost them dearly: two of the brothers, Par Par Lay and Lu Zaw, spent six years doing hard labor after a performance at Ang Sang Suu Kyi’s home in 1996 and Par Par Lay was re-arrested in 2007. Since his release, the government has backed off a little and seems to look the other way as the brothers perform nightly shows in their garage (but the audience is foreigners only). It was a fun mix of comedy and traditional Burmese dance, but it was their unflinching commitment to speaking out against their oppressive government that truly left us awe-struck.

From Mandalay, we jumped aboard a ferry for a scenic, eight-hour journey down the Irrawaddy River to Bagan. Unfortunately, the dry season meant the rivers were running a bit low, and despite the efforts of the two depthfinders perched at the front of the ferry (two guys with long poles), we kept running up on sandbars. Usually, we were able to move off of them fairly quickly, but one particular sandbar toward the end of our journey kept us stuck for over two hours. Fourteen hours later, we arrived in Bagan.

Click on the photo below to view our Mandalay photo album.

Hsipaw and Pyin Oo Lwin (February 29-March 2, 2012)

We reached the small town of Hsipaw (population 15,000), in Northeastern Myanmar, by a long, bumpy, overnight bus trip. Our seats at the back of the bus were so uncomfortable that Patrick ended up stretching out on the dirty aisle floor just to catch some shuteye. Located in Shan State and surrounded by mountains, it is a popular destination for trekking and visiting small, traditional villages. Unfortunately, February and March are some of the driest and hottest months of the year here, and the time of year when locals use “swidden” (aka slash and burn) farming techniques to ready their fields for next season’s crops. With no rain the air was smoky and dusty, and, as a result, we decided not to do any extended trekking here. Instead, we spent a full day hiking around the town, visiting several traditional villages and an area known as “Little Bagan” because of its many stupa ruins. While the area was very pretty, the friendly locals were the highlight, waving and shouting out a friendly “mingalaba!” greeting as we passed.

From Hsipaw we braved the Burmese rail system, little modernized since the British built it in the late 19^th century, and headed to Pyin Oo Lwin. The train ride was one-of-a kind. Our car rocked heavily from side to side for much of the ride, so much so that our backpacks could not stay on the luggage racks above our head. As we approached the Goteik Viaduct, a bridge largely left untouched since it was completed in 1900, we slowed to a crawl in order not to put too much stress on the old bridge. Though long and slow (it took us 10 hours to travel about 85 miles), the ride was pleasant and interesting. At each stop women would come to the train windows with huge trays of food balanced on their heads offering up everything from grilled chicken to baskets of strawberries. On board, Patrick made friends with a Burmese family by taking photos of the daughters and showing them the digital image as they giggled and signaled that they wanted him to take another. At one of the stops their mother bought two baskets of strawberries from a woman on the platform and gave one to each of us, though we tried to decline, she insisted. It was a very sweet gesture and we were touched.

Pyin Oo Lwin, at 3,500 ft elevation, was nice for its cooler temperatures and old British architecture (it was once the summer capital/”hill station” of British Burma). The city is currently home to two military academies and the streets were filled with Burmese soldiers on their day off. We only spent a morning here before moving on to Mandalay but it was a pretty place to pass some time. The streets are mostly unpaved, and horse-drawn carriages kick up dust as they pass. The architecture is predominately British colonial, though not much has been done to preserve the buildings so they have a decidedly run-down look to them. Before leaving we walked through the city’s bustling market, stocking up on several items made from strawberries, the area’s agricultural claim-to-fame, including wine and jam made from the local berries.

Click on the photo below to view our Hsipaw and Pyin Oo Lwin photo album.

Yangon (February 26-February 28 and March 12-March 14, 2012)

Before deciding to visit Myanmar we did quite a bit of research into the potential impact of a visit to this military dictatorship. Starting in the mid-1990s, anti-government activists both inside and outside of Myanmar called for a tourism boycott of the country. Now, however, as things seem to slowly open up in this isolated country, leaders generally encourage outsiders to visit. Aung San Suu Kyi herself, one of the most fiercely anti-government activists in the country, was once in favor of the boycott, but now supports informed, responsible tourism. With this in mind, we were leaning toward visiting this less-visited country. When we found out Patrick’s friend Brett was living in Yangon, our decision was made, and we booked a flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), a sprawling city of 5 million, was the capital of Myanmar until 2005 when the government decided to build a new capital city further north. We were here twice, capping our three weeks in Myanmar. The city is a little grimy and chaotic, but no more so than many cities we visited on the Indian sub-continent, and we liked the lively international feel of the city. Our first time through we went straight to the guesthouse where Brett was staying. After a little catching up we headed to a fundraiser put on by some of Brett’s students benefiting war-torn Kachin communities in northern Myanmar. Through music, art, and comedy young Burmese were standing up for their countrymen. Though mild by international standards, their protests seemed quite brave in a country with a government that has little tolerance for dissent.

We spent our next day visiting the nearby town of Bago, the former capital of the Mon people of southern Myanmar, and its numerous pagodas and temples with Brett. Shwethalyaung, the long reclining Buddha with jeweled feet and Shwemawdaw Paya, an outstanding golden stupa, were some of our favorites.

On our second time through Yangon we did most of our sightseeing. The highlight of Yangon is Shwedagon Paya, which we visited with an entertaining guide. At the center of the complex is the iconic stupa, covered in gold leaf and partially encrusted in diamonds and other gems. The stupa is impressive up close and adds a beautiful silhouette to Yangon’s skyline. The stupa is surrounded by 82 other temples, shrines, and pagodas with lots of hidden gems we wouldn’t have noticed without our guide, “Mr. Kind.”

While in Yangon we also visited Kandawgyi Lake with some of Brett’s students who happily talked to us about their lives as students. We also visited Sule paya, the gold stupa in the heart of downtown Yangon, and Bogyoke Aung San Market, a market full of Burmese souvenirs and everyday household items dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, the leader of the movement that gained Burmese independence from the British Empire in 1948. In the evenings, Brett took us to some of his favorite restaurants where we ate great Burmese and Indian food, and bars where we drank the local beer, appropriately named “Myanmar,” among friendly, if often very-underage, Burmese people. It was really great to see Brett and a relief to have an expert to introduce the country to us, including its sometimes strange customs (for example money-changing, which is traded on a black market, involves dodging swarms of street hustlers, and knowing where you can negotiate the best rate!).

Click on the photo below  for our Yangon photo album.

Kuala Lumpur (February 20-February 22 and February 24-February 26, 2012)

We had already passed through Kuala Lumpur (better known as “KL”) twice, spending a night here when we arrived in Malaysia and spending two more nights on the town with David on our way to Melaka, but we didn’t really explore KL until the end of our Malaysia visit. Our first impressions were just how modern and clean the city felt, especially after three months in Nepal and India, and that the city wasn’t as big as we expected. Pictures of the city featuring the iconic Petronas towers, the Menara KL tower, and other skyscrapers leave the impression that the city is a metropolis, much bigger than the city of one million residents that it actually is.

KL is also cosmopolitan. The extensive and integrated transit system (with light rail, monorail, and trains) is quick and efficient, and most of the buildings are modern (no doubt due to the fact that the city has only come into its own over the last 20 years). The numerous malls, western chain stores, and fast food outlets offer a decent facsimile of many U.S. cities, however, step around the corner and you might find a Chinese street food market, a fruit vendor selling stinky durian, or an Indian trying to lure you into his buffet restaurant. In this, we could really feel the melting pot of Malaysian society, where Indian and Chinese descended Malaysians coexist with the Muslim Malays. It was not uncommon to see an Indian parade blocking the traffic outside a Hindu temple, while only a few blocks away, in a shopping district, modestly dressed Malay women in headscarves are crossing paths with Chinese women in short-shorts and skimpy tops.

While exploring KL, we were underwhelmed by Chinatown, visited Merdeka Square, admired the Petronas Towers and enjoyed the A.C. of the huge mall at their base, and were awed by the views from the observation deck at Menara KL tower. We had a great time with our friends in this city and it made for a nice welcome to Southeast Asia.

Click on the photo below for our Kuala Lumpur photo album.

Melaka (February 22-February 24, 2012)

Melaka, in southern Malaysia, is another of the British Straits Settlements and, like Georgetown in Penang, it has strong colonial and Chinese influences. We explored the city by foot, as usual, and found that the rich history of Melaka was present everywhere we looked. The bright pink buildings of the 17^th century Stadthuys (Dutch Town Square), the 16^th century Portuguese St. Paul’s Cathedral sitting atop Bukit St. Paul (St. Pauls Hill), and the 17^th century Cheng Hoon Teng temple, as well as the colorfully decorated rickshaws we saw all around town all spoke to the rich cultural history of this city. Melaka’s famous cuisine also reflects the city’s diverse history, and we sampled our fair share of the city’s specialties during our two days. Highlights were dim sum breakfasts, laksa (thick curry noodle soup), celup (a satay-flavored hot pot), popiah (a local take on spring rolls), the best cendol we had in Malaysia, and several Nonya (descendents of 15^th and 16^th century Chinese immigrants, as opposed to more recent Chinese immigrants) dishes including pork and rice dumplings steamed in banana leaves and pineapple tarts.

Click on the photo below for our Melaka photo album.